Place to see: Essaouira, March ez Zaïm, Morocco

About this place:

Essaouira is a city and tourist resort, in the western Moroccan economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz on the Atlantic coast.The Medina of Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town. Essaouira presents itself as a city full of culture, several small art galleries are found all over the town. Since 1998, the Gnaoua Festival of World Music is hold in Essaouira, normally in the last week of June. It brings together artists from all over the world, although focussed on gnaoua music it includes rock, jazz or reggae. Dubbed as the "Moroccan Woodstock" it lasts four days and attracts annually around 450.000 spectators.

Tourism is of growing importance, supporting boutique hotels established in traditional Moroccan riads, within the old town's ramparts. There are a number of modern purpose-built hotels, running along the beach. The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries. (Source: Wikipedia)

Essaouira is some three hours from Marrakech along a mixture of tarmac and dust roads that pass through villages and small towns. You can take a bus and the best known, Supratour bus, leaves from near Bab Marrakech at 6.00am, 11.00am, 2.30pm and 6pm. You should buy your ticket in advance to be sure of getting a seat and be at the station at least 15 minutes before the bus departs. The price is 65Dh one way + 5Dh for each piece of luggage that you put in the hold. The journey takes three hours but including a 20 minute tea stop which you will welcome when it comes.